Gearbox Software was slated to release a port to the Sega Dreamcast
under contract by Valve and their
then publisher Sierra On-Line near the end of 2000. At the ECTS 2000, a
build of the game was playable on
the publisher's stand, and developers Randy Pitchford and Brian Martel
were in attendance to show it off and give
interviews to the press. However, despite only being weeks from going
gold, it was never commercially released;
Sierra announced that Half-Life on Dreamcast was cancelled "due to
changing market conditions" (presumably
the third-party abandonment of the failing Dreamcast). The following
year Sierra On-Line showed a PlayStation 2
port at E3 2001. This version was released in North America in late
October of the same year, followed
by a European release just a month later. Around the same time,
Half-Life: Blue Shift, which was
intended to be a Dreamcast exclusive Midquel, was released on PC as the
second Half-life Expansion Pack.

Although it has never officially being released, the Dreamcast version
was leaked onto the Internet, and was
proven to be fully playable; it contains the full versions of Half-Life
and Blue Shift, both with an early version of the
High Definition Pack (it was from this port that the pack was spawned),
but has a somewhat inconsistent framerate
(though never to the point of unplayability) and lengthier load times
when the player moves from area to area
(around ten seconds, while today's average PC can load an area in around
one and a half). Also, there
are some saving problems; the number of blocks on a VMU increases
rapidly as the player reaches
the end of a level. While the game allows you to remove files to
increase space, sometimes it still isn't enough.

Although the High Definition Pack that came with the
PC version of Blue-Shift was primarily made from the Dreamcast models, judging from
these screenshots, it appears that there were many changes made to them
before they reached their final form. Many of these models even differ
from the models seen in the leaked DC game, indicating that they were
changing quite frequently throughout development.

The commander grunt had a much more human-like (And
creepy looking) face.

A human grunt with black arms and a white neck. That's
quite an odd tan. Apparently, Gearbox avoided this problem entirely by
giving the gas mask a flap, thereby covering the neck entirely.

Creepy looking commander and unevenly tanned grunts fire at
nothing while a random explosion goes off in the background.

For some reason, many of these Dreamcast screenshots
show
shadows enabled. Could this mean shadows were once planned for the DC
port?

This appears to be a weird hybrid of the original
zombie model and the high definition version. It has the brown pants and
a modeled vein thing on
his right arm just like the high definition model, but for some reason
this was all done in the style of the original low-poly zombie. This
model is seen in the leaked DC game.

The alien slave (aka Vortigaunt) had a much more detailed model and
skin, but it looked very cartoonish. Apparently this model was
completely scrapped for the high definition pack. This model is seen in
the leaked DC game.

The last screenshot uses a non-standard resolution for a console game
(800x600 as opposed to 640x480 or some equivalent), and the dead HEV
suit model does not match the HEV suit model seen in the leaked DC game.
This may indicate that this screenshot is from the PC version of Blue
Shift, and therefore suggests that this particular alien slave model may have lasted
quite long
into development before being replaced by the current high definition
model.

All the scientists have a much altered appearance here
than what would eventually be released in the high definition pack.
Aside from their different heads, they all seem to have unusual looking
ties. Here, Slick has brown hair instead of black.

Walter, and a close-up of that weird tie.

This head model is the same one used for Rosenberg.

Luther. The tie seems to have changed to the current
high definition style, which incidentally looks much more like the
original scientist model's tie.

Einstein, and the current high definition style tie.

A couple of bullsquids lounging around in Xen. These
bullsquids models look to be based on the original low-poly model,
rather than a completely new model as seen in the finished
high-definition pack. One obvious difference is that the bullsquids have
very pronounced orange eyes, but upon closer inspection, blue spots can
also be seen on their backs. This model is seen in the leaked DC game.

The low detail armor vest looks like it's being used
here instead of the high definition model. Somewhat curious as the DC
version was always boasting improved models, unless Gearbox was planning
for the PC release all along with optional low and high definition
models, and accidentally left these low detail models in when this
screenshot was taken.

A very bizarre houndeye model. It's a completely new
model based on the original houndeye, but was made much
fatter and rounder model for some reason. This model is seen in the
leaked DC game.

The high definition M4 model curiously coupled with
the original low detail HEV arms.

As a large testament to just how close the Dreamcast
version of Half-Life came to being released, it appears a Prima strategy
guide was completed and ready to be shipped at the same time as the
game. Alas, the game release was cancelled, and this guide obviously
became a bit pointless.

I believe I found the pictures
of this guide on an eBay auction, meaning that I foolishly missed the
chance to purchase this item.

The alleged cover for the game. I cannot find a
definite source as to where this image came from (And why it would have
been released, aside from promotional purposes), but seeing as it
matches the cover of the guide seen above, I believe that this is a
legitimate version of what the game cover would have looked like. For
some reason, Gearbox is not listed on the front of it, however.